The Anime and Manga Dictionary

Plain-English definitions for anime and manga terms, characters, genres and culture, from tsundere to shonen.

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Popular terms

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Popular terms

Start with the words you hear most in anime and manga.

ツンデレ

Tsundere

A character who acts cold or hostile at first but gradually shows a warmer side.

異世界

Isekai

A genre where a character is transported, reincarnated or summoned into another world.

少年

Shonen

Manga and anime aimed mainly at teenage boys, built on action, adventure and growth.

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What you will find inside

Every entry follows the same layout, so you can find what you need quickly: a one-line definition, a longer explanation, where the word comes from, an example, related terms and a fun fact.

Characters and archetypes
Phrases and Japanese expressions
Genres and demographics
Fandom, industry and culture terms

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Learn the language of anime and manga

Pick a letter and start exploring.

Browse A to Z